FAT CITY PROJECT GOES TO CITY PLANNING BOARD

The fate of Fat City Lofts, a proposed downtown apartment building being opposed by nearby Solar Turbines, is now in the hands of the city Planning Commission.

Redevelopment officials ruled this month that the 232-unit project at Pacific Highway and Hawthorn Street was incompatible with Solar Turbines’ industrial use to the west, and the developers filed an appeal Monday.

The property is owned by the family of the late Tom Fat, who operated two restaurants in the building, which was originally opened as Top’s nightclub in 1941. A hearing is expected within 60 days.

“We were wrongfully denied our given rights to develop for-rent housing in a zone that specifically allows it in downtown San Diego,” said project architect Jonathan Segal, who is the developer along with Carlsbad-based GLJ Partners. Solar spokeswoman Wendy Swanson said the company expected the appeal and was not surprised.

In their filing, Segal and GLJ said the ruling was based on “inaccurate” evidence and statements and the project complies with city plans for the area in Little Italy.

Kim Kilkenny, chairman of the Centre City Development Corp., agreed with Solar that the city’s economic prosperity goals conflicted with a residential use. Solar contends that adding an apartment project nearby could jeopardize its air pollution control ratings and force it to relocate, perhaps out of state.

Little Italy property owners expressed concern that rejection of Fat City Lofts could set a precedent that would make it impossible for them to build apartments and condos on their sites. The seven-member Planning Commission’s decision cannot be appealed to the City Council.

“The good news is it’s going to the Planning Commission and the Planning Commission is going to be unbiased and going to be looking at it from the proper perspective,” Segal said.